From the Departments of Medicine and Biostatistics, Omaha Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) and University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska; National Data Bank for Rheumatic Diseases, Wichita, Kansas; Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta,
Georgia; University of Pittsburgh, Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama,
USA.

Abstract

Methods. Patients with RA included in the study were participants in the Consortium for the Longitudinal Evaluation of African Americans with Early Rheumatoid Arthritis (CLEAR) registry. Patients were categorized based on self-reported alcohol consumption; those consuming < 15 beverages per month versus those with ≥ 15 per month. Association of radiographic disease progression over a 1-year to 3-year period of observation with alcohol consumption was evaluated using multivariate generalized estimating equations.

Results. Of 166 patients included in the study, 39% reported that they had never consumed alcohol. Of the 61% who had consumed alcohol, 73% reported that they consumed on average < 15 alcoholic beverages per month and 27% reported consuming ≥ 15 per month. In multivariate analysis, consumption of ≥ 15 alcoholic beverages per month was associated with an increased risk of radiographic disease progression (p = 0.017). There was no evidence of a relationship in those consuming < 15 beverages per month (p = 0.802).

Conclusion. There appears to be a dose-dependent relationship between alcohol use and radiographic disease progression in RA. Individuals who consume 15 or more alcoholic beverages per month may have faster rates of radiographic joint damage than those with lower levels of consumption.

Footnotes

Mr. Davis was supported by the University of Nebraska Medical Center Enhanced Medical Education Tract. Dr. Mikuls was supported by the Nebraska Arthritis Outcomes Research Center, the American College of Rheumatology, and the Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development (VA Merit). The CLEAR Registry (Primary investigator, Dr. Bridges) is also supported by the US National Institutes of Health grant 2P60 AR048095 UAB Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Center.